Haunted
by Titan of Saturn
Summary: First in the Cold Oak AU Series where Jess didn't die and Sam stayed in the life he built with her. Set in Season Two, spoilers for AHBL part one. 'Sam touched his wedding ring and tried to figure out how he could have ever been so stupid.' Revised.


I do not own Supernatural, its affiliates, or its characters. Spoilers for All Hell Breaks Loose, parts one and two. Some language and violence.

—TS (DoC: 10/16/07) (DoR: 02/16/08)

First in the Cold Oak AU Series.

* * *

Haunted

* * *

Sam had been there a week when he had a vision of Jess. She was in their kitchen, helping him make what passed as a dinner because neither of them could really cook. It's the last thing he remembered before waking up in this haunted, deserted town. In his vision, Jess was wearing the same clothes as she had that day, her hair was up the same way, and she said _Sam, how about we go for dinner tomorrow. Maybe we can invite your brother. You said he-_ just like Sam remembered– the last words she'd said to him.

Then Jess was dead. Her throat wide open, gaping, and their pretty little kitchen covered in blood.

Sam spent another week– two, three– exploring where he could and sleeping light, fending off the demons and spirits that attacked, laying down salt lines he wasn't sure would work. He carried a short iron bar and a small container of salt with him everywhere. But everywhere wasn't much. Sam spent most days sitting in the town square and staring at that damn bell, willing the answers to appear out of thin air. In his room at night, paranoid and terrified, he willed Dean and Dad to come to his rescue.

Sam touched his wedding ring and tried to figure out how he could have ever been so stupid. That night, Sam dreamt of a demon. He didn't have to ask what or who it was, because somehow he knew this was the thing that killed his mom, killed Jess. It had yellow eyes and took the form of Sam's father. He was afraid to ask why.

"I'm giving you a heads up, Sam. I like you, I want you to win. That's why you're here so early; to give you time to get the lay of the land." The demon smiled, and John Winchester's voice had more than it's usual hint of Southern twang.

"For what? Why am I here? What do you want with me?" Sam scrambled his thoughts, looked for anything, _anything_, that he could do; to kill it, to just get out of the dream, but he came up with nothing. Fuck, he didn't even know how to kill it in real life– didn't even know what it _was_.

"Come on, now, you already know what I want with you. You've known for a long time, Sam. A year and a half, I'd say; the dreams, the night terrors, the waking visions."

"You won't get away with this. Dean will know I'm missing and come looking for me."

"You don't think I believe that, do you? You haven't talked to Dean in months, not since you're wedding reception. That had to have hurt, best man at your wedding and then the cold shoulder. You started pushing him away when the visions started coming during the day. It was actually quite smart of you not to tell him; left you alive and unprotected for me, eh Sammy? But that's not the point. I'm hosting a little competition here for some people. People like you, Sam. Special children, psychics." The demon laughed at Sam's reaction. "You didn't think you were the only one, did you? You've been out of the game too long."

"Why kill Jess?"

"She was unfortunate enough to be there when I took you. A witness. I couldn't have her telling anybody. Don't worry, Sammy, it's nothing personal."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"No. But how you feel doesn't matter. What matters is how well you perform in this little contest of mine."

"What contest!" It was insane. The whole thing was unbelievable. Sam had to be dreaming. He couldn't accept any of this otherwise, couldn't deal. _I'm dreaming. This is a nightmare._ Then it occurred to him that he'd have to be having a dream inside a nightmare, and Sam had to clamp down on hysteria. "What's going on? Why am I here?" He didn't want the answers, but Sam asked the questions anyway. Felt his mouth move of its own accord and his heart thundering in his ears.

"I need a soldier." The thing wearing Dad's face told him, stretching John Winchester's lips wide into a terrifying grin. "A _human_ soldier, one with powers; like you, like any of the children out there like you." The inhuman yellow eyes glowed in the darkness of Sam's dreamscape. He wanted to kill it. He wanted to charge at it and take it down or die. Sam wanted to _run away_. "And you're all going to fight each other for the spot. A fight to the death and nobody leaves until there's only one person left standing. I'm rooting for you, Sam."

And Sam woke up to the sound of someone yelling: "Hello! Is anybody there?"


End file.
